South Park Angers Everyone Sometimes but Teaches Us To Think (Crixeo)

While South Park’s jabs at progressive ideals sometimes hit close to home, I am glad the show continues to challenge my beliefs.

Growing up in a suburban conservative home, anytime I was watching Comedy Central and the banjo opening of the South Park theme song began to play, one of my parents would grab the remote and change the channel. Naturally, when I got to college in 2006, I assigned myself the entire series, determined to see what I’d been missing out on. I knew I didn’t agree with my parents, but I didn’t know just how much I could disagree with them. The forbidden fruit tasted sweet, sour, and sometimes even salty. Sitting in my dorm with yet another pasta dinner, I learned the show’s mythology and key answers to questions like why that kid at my summer camp had a T-shirt saying, “Oh my god! They killed Kenny!” and why some of the characters had rectangular, stick-figure like bodies. Most importantly, I discovered counter-narratives to the conservative views on politics, social issues, and pop culture that I’d grown up hearing. I’ve kept up with the show ever since.